Koa Smith

Resides: Oahu, Hawaii

Born and raised on the island of Kauai, Koa Smith has been blazing his own trail in the surf world for the past decade. Smith started his career at an early age; his three-time champion status in the National Scholastic Surfing Association could have been an easy stepping stone into the pro circuit. Instead, Smith took a different road. Smith’s photogenic surfing style, coupled with his on-camera social charisma and love of travel, led him to carve out a path in the world of pro “free surfing” in which he could personally document his adventures and build his own social channels and brand.

This past decade, his top-level performances at A-grade spots like Pipeline, Teahupo’o, and Jaws kept him among the elite circle of world class pro and free surfers.

Smith, now based on Oahu with his two brothers, spends his days running successful coffee shops and producing footage that continues to entertain and inspire. Outside of his top-level surfing, Smith also models in Ford campaigns and continues to appear in reality TV. His latest gig is appearing as a contestant on ABC’s newest series, “The Ultimate Surfer.”

Outspoken about former head injuries, Smith has been a long-time advocate of helmets and is committed to be a driving force in making surf helmets cool. Not quite 30, we expect Smith will keep leading the safety charge and also be a dominant player in this new movement of surfer/entrepreneur/performer.